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Hurricanes Picked By ACC Media To Win Coastal Division

Miami Hurricanes head coach Mark Richt addresses the media on day 2 of the ACC Football Kickoff at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, NC on July 14, 2017. (Source: William Howard/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

CHARLOTTE (CBSMiami/AP) — It’s traditionally been one of the more wide-open NCAA conference divisions in Division I.

The Atlantic Coast Conference’s Coastal Division hasn’t had a repeat champion since 2011 and generally has a surprise team climb to the top of the standings.

While the Miami Hurricanes are being considered one of the favorites to take the crown, something the school has never done since joining the ACC, many believe the Coastal is still wide open.

Five of the seven teams, including Miami, are breaking in a new starting quarterback, and it was unclear at the ACC’s preseason media days which team is best positioned to take control of an unpredictable division that hasn’t produced an ACC champion since Virginia Tech in 2010.

The Hokies — the last program to win consecutive Coastal crowns — were last year’s champions and have 14 starters back from a 10-win team entering coach Justin Fuente’s second season.

“You know, the ultimate number of wins and all that sort of stuff, I understand it’s important and it is a measuring tool, but it’s not the only one,” Fuente said Friday. “My first year at Memphis, we had to use a different measuring tool to determine if we were improving. Each year is different. Each team is different. As we move forward, for us, it’s all about focusing on the process and making sure we’re giving ourselves a chance.”

Miami, meanwhile, returns 16 starters for its second season under Mark Richt, including running back Mark Walton (1,117 yards, 14 touchdowns). But like the Hokies, the Hurricanes are among the crowded ranks of teams having to replace a starting quarterback after losing Brad Kaaya.

“We understand how to do the little things right, and we understand how we want to go about our business,” Richt said. “And the players, like I said, 80, 90 percent of them know exactly what we want to do and how we want to do it, so now it’s a matter of them perfecting their trade. So it’s a different feel for sure.”

Miami is the preseason favorite to claim the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division championship, according to a poll of 167 media members held in conjunction with last week’s 2017 ACC Football Kickoff.

Miami was selected the likely Coastal Division winner by 103 voters and amassed 1,065 total points.

As for North Carolina, which won the Coastal in 2015 and finished tied for second last year, the Tar Heels will have significant personnel losses that include quarterback Mitch Trubisky — the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft — receivers Mack Hollins and Ryan Switzer, and top tailbacks Elijah Hood and T.J. Logan. That means the team’s top strength under sixth-year coach Larry Fedora — a fast-paced and high-scoring offense that could cover for defensive weaknesses — could be in for a struggle.

“In all my years, I think it’s around 18 years of running this offense, I’ve never experienced this,” Fedora said. “It’s a little bit of an unknown for me. … I think there’s a lot of guys that you may recognize their name from recruiting, but you’ve never seen them on the field. It’s time for them to step up. It’s time for them. It’s their opportunity to become a household name.”